Twenty-eight-year-old
psychologist, Alisha Dimarchi, is abducted by an obsessed client and imprisoned
in his Pakistani compound for over two years. Forced to change her name and
live as his second wife, her life is filled with trauma and heartbreak. Thrust
into a world of violence and oppression, Ally must fight not only to keep
herself alive but to protect the lives of the people she now considers family.
At night, she retreats into her memories of the only man she has ever loved—a
man she believes no longer loves her.

Thirty-four-year-old
handsome surgeon, David Dimarchi, has spent the last two years mourning the
disappearance of his wife. After a painful and isolated existence, he begins
the process of healing. It is then he is visited by a stranger, who informs him
that Ally is very much alive and needs his help. In a desperate attempt to save
her, David enlists the help of a mercenary. Together they find themselves in
the center of more than just a rescue mission. Will he be able to reach her in
time, and if he does, will she still want him?

Ally’s
lungs were cement blocks heavy in her chest. Unable to breathe, she lay curled
in a ball on the floor, gasping for air, drenched in sweat.

Waiting.

The
panic attacks had started after Nasif’s first night away and progressively
worsened each day. She wanted to pretend it was because he wasn’t there to
distract her. But she knew better.

Sayeed would be here soon.

The
gnawing voice in the back of her head wouldn’t stop reminding her of the hell
his arrival would bring. As the day grew close, the voice became louder, urging
her to do something. But there was only so much she could do locked away in a
concrete box.

Unable
to shut out the images or find a way to escape, hopelessness would again choke
her, triggering another panic attack. Funny thing was, those episodes she spent
struggling for air gave her a little hope. Maybe
this one will kill me.

Something
she knew better than to believe. After all, she’d spent her career teaching
clients that panic attacks were typically non-life-threatening.

While
this morning’s episode subsided, she stayed on the floor, slick with
perspiration, staring at the ceiling.

He
said Sayeed would be here in fourteen days.

Ally
crawled beside the bed and dug under the mattress until her fingers wrapped
around a thin, wooden pencil. After dragging the frame away from the wall, she
slid between the headboard and concrete and sat on the floor. She added another
tally mark to the twelve already there. Praying she’d counted wrong, she tapped
the back of the eraser against each line and counted again. The end result was
the same; Nasif had left thirteen times already. Her pencil slipped out of her
shaky fingers and fell to the floor.

One
more day.

Images
of Sayeed, violating her, flooded Ally’s thoughts. Her chest tightened and her
body chilled. Time was running out. Her breathing became labored and a cool
sweat beaded across her lip.

The Second Wife is one of those
rare novels that will lurk in the back of your mind for weeks. With stunning
precision, Kishan Paul throws the reader into a world of clandestine
organizations and brutal politics. The gripping characters wrench your heart and
make you cringe with fear. A rollercoaster of suspense and emotion not to be
missed.
--Aubrey Wynne Author of Dante’s Gift and
Rolf’s Quest

"The
Second Wife is a poignant story of love, domestic violence, and mental
strength. It grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until you've finished
the last page. No wait, it doesn't let go at all… I had the pleasure of
betareading it, and the wide range of emotions it stirred in me are still right
under the surface."– Lea Bronsen
award winning author of The Perfect Shoot

“This is a gripping
story, brilliantly woven from start to finish. I’ll never forget Ally. She’s as
real to me as anyone else because her story isn’t some forgettable fictional
work. No way you are walking away from this one the same way. I actually took a
break between this novel and my next one. I wasn’t ready to begin another
journey just yet. Amazing work, Kishan Paul.” – Kristen Shanchez, reader

About
the Author

From daring escapes by tough women to chivalrous men swooping in to save the
day, the creativity switch to Kishan Paul’s brain is always in the “on”
position. If daydreaming stories were a college course, Kish would have
graduated with honors.

Mother of two beautiful children, she has been married to her best friend
for over seventeen years. With the help of supportive family and friends, she
balances her family, a thriving counseling practice, and writing without
sinking into insanity.

Her novel, Blind Love, is currently available through most major ebook sites
and through Samhain Publications.